Jessica Schmit

Jessica Schmit has always loved writing—so much so that she actually started her career as a big law corporate attorney for almost a decade. However, Jessica's true passion is planning adventures and traveling around the world—finding unique, offbeat experiences; having bucket-list adventures on a budget; and experiencing the outdoors, from scuba diving to glacier hiking. Since she was 18, she has traveled to over 30 countries, 43 U.S. states, and 44 national parks. She combined her two loves of writing and travel when she founded Uprooted Traveler in 2018 to share tips and tricks to help others plan their adventures around the world as well. She's been the primary author and owner of Uprooted Traveler since then and left corporate America to run this website full-time in 2023. She currently runs this website and its associated social media channels with her husband, Justin, while traveling full-time in their RV around North America or living out of a backpack abroad.

Hidden Valley Trail in Joshua Tree National Park: Everything You Need to Know

Joshua Tree National Park is known for its unique desert beauty, with massive monzogranite boulders, arid plantlife, and its iconic Sessian-like Joshua trees. One of the best places in the park to soak in its otherworldly beauty is the Hidden Valley Trail, an easy loop hike that’s accessible for any hiker, regardless of the skill level.

If you want to experience this beautiful corner of California for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about the Hidden Valley Trail, one of the most beautiful hikes in Joshua Tree National Park.

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Lost Palms Oasis Trail: The Best Hidden Gem in Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park is known for its enormous monzogranite boulders, rugged mountain ranges, and forests of Seussian-like Joshua tree forests. What it’s not known for is its lush plantlife—with less than five inches of rain per year, Joshua Tree is decidedly an arid desert.

But the Lost Palms Oasis Trail is one of the glaring exceptions, with a series of impossibly green palm trees lining a deep canyon. If you want to see this unique corner of Joshua Tree for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about the Lost Palms Oasis Trail, one of the best hidden gems in the park.

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10 Tips for How to Save Money on Cruises

Cruising has quickly become one of my husband, Justin’s and my favorite ways to travel. You get to have one comfy “hotel” room, but get to wake up in and explore a new place every day, plus have some yummy food and drink along the way.

But cruises aren’t exactly cheap—a seven night Caribbean cruise on a non-luxury brand can cost up to $8,000 per person! So, if you’re looking to travel on a budget, here are 10 tips for how to save money on cruises (including some hacks that I know you haven’t heard of before!).

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The ULTIMATE Antarctica Cruise Packing List

One of the only ways to explore the vast beauty and frozenness of Antarctica is on an expedition cruise ship, where you get the opportunity to land amongst the penguins and zip between icebergs in a Zodiac. But what exactly do you pack to explore the coldest, driest, and most extreme continent on our planet? We just got back from a two week cruise with Aurora Expeditions around the White Continent. After being onboard an expedition cruise and exploring this magical corner of our planet for two weeks, here’s the ultimate Antarctica cruise packing list to make sure you can get the most from your adventures.

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Aurora Expeditions Antarctica Cruise Review: Everything You Need to Know

Tourism to Antarctica has exploded in the last few years, with up to 50 operators offering expeditions to explore the most remote corner of our planet. Aurora Expeditions is one of the most unique players on the Antarctica cruise market, offering adventurous itineraries that balance education, sustainability, and a hint of luxury. 

My husband, Justin, and I recently spent 14 days sailing around the Antarctic Peninsula with Aurora, surrounded by limitless ice, jaw-dropping landscapes, and an almost unbelievable abundance of wildlife. If you’re considering doing the same, here’s our honest review of our experience on our Aurora Expeditions Antarctica cruise, from what kind of activities we got up to every day to what to expect from the onboard staff.

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2025 Recap: The Rollercoaster of a Year

Since 2020, we’ve written an annual end-of-the-year recap to reflect on our experiences traveling around the world for the last year and the unpredictable roller coaster that is running a small content creation business in this day and age. I hope that some other humans might read these recaps, but, to be honest, I mostly write them for myself, as they force me to take stock of our wins and losses over the last 12 months and evaluate what we want to accomplish in the 365 days ahead. 2025 was an absolutely wild, rollercoaster of a year, where we got to pack in more insane adventures than I would’ve dreamed possible for an entire lifetime—and fell on our faces plenty, too. 

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GigSky Review: The Best eSIM for Cruises

Getting data while traveling internationally has never been easier, thanks to eSIMs. But there are still a few places where keeping connected can be quite challenging and expensive. We just found and tried out a new company, called GigSky, that offers regular eSIMs for when you’re traveling abroad and, more uniquely, options for cruise ships so that you can stay connected, even if you’re in the middle of the ocean. If you’re looking for options for data while you’re traveling abroad or while at sea, here’s our review of GigSky, the ultimate game changer for cruisers. 

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Iceland Road Trip: 7 Days Exploring from Reyjavik to the Southern Coast

Iceland is arguably the best place on the planet to do a road trip. With gorgeous scenic drives, endless roadside stops, and plentiful campgrounds, it’s the perfect place to explore while on the road. But, with so many epic adventures to choose from, it can be hard to know where to even start! 

My husband, Justin, and I have been lucky enough to have visited this stunning country a few times and have crafted the perfect Iceland road trip itinerary if you have one week to pack in as many epic experiences as possible, focusing on the western and southern coastline.

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Sim Local Review: Is this the Best eSIM for International Travel?

eSIMs have totally changed the game for getting high speed data while traveling internationally, eliminating the need for physical SIM cards or expensive roaming plans. However, there are a LOT of eSIM companies on the market, so it can be tough to know which one to use. 

Sim Local has been in this space for 14 years, so we decided to put their eSIMs to the test. Here’s our honest thoughts on Sim Local, including some of the unique features that set them apart and whether it’s one of the best eSIM options for international travel.

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Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland: Visiting One of the Most Remote Towns in the World

Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland is a place with some impressive superlatives, being sandwiched between the world’s largest fjord system, Scoresby Sund, to the south and the world’s largest national park, Northeast Greenland National Park, to the north. 

As you might imagine, it’s incredibly remote In fact, it’s one of only a handful of settlements along the 6,200 mile coastline of eastern Greenland and the ONLY town in the Northeastern region of the country. For each of the 500 visitors that make it here each year, you’ll get to experience immense natural beauty and unique Indigenous culture. If you want to experience this mysterious place for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about visiting Ittoqqortoormiit.

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